Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 NLT
Examinations can disturb or self-assure.
Most doctors suggest routine examinations. After all, our bodies deteriorate as we age, and some things naturally happen and are shared among humans. Bones get more brittle. Eyesight deteriorates. Skin thins. Joints wear out. Certain types of cancer appear at certain ages; therefore, doctors recommend scans and procedures at certain ages. Fifty is often the dreaded number.
During a typical examination, doctors do similar things: check the lungs, listen to the heart, test the reflexes, poke around on the stomach, feel the neck, check the pulse, measure the blood pressure, take blood samples, and schedule procedures. Abnormalities in any of these areas can signal more serious concerns. Some choose not to visit doctors and never suffer any health concerns. Others decide on regular check-ups and discover things that could have been life-threatening had they been neglected. If a person has had specific health issues, the doctor may suggest they execute periodic self-examinations.
Paul makes two imperative statements: examine yourselves and test yourselves. Imperative sentences give commands or directions or make strong suggestions. His concern deals with a life-threatening situation: whether or not a person is a believer.
A good self-examination will determine whether I’ve decided to follow Jesus Christ. Am I in the faith? Have I asked Him to forgive my sins? Do I obey Him wholeheartedly? Is His mission mine?
Self-examination will also investigate how we feel when we sin. Does it bother me, or do I dismiss it as just a human mistake—something not to be overly concerned about? Do I imagine God will merely overlook it?
When we self-examine, we should consider our priorities and why we do what we do. What motivates my good deeds and actions toward others? Is it selfishness? Am I pandering after recognition? Or do I serve because I love with a sacrificial love as God does?
Self-examination will also reveal how we feel about sin in general. Evidence of it saturates our everyday lives. Media sources shove it in our faces continuously. Have I built immunity against it, or do wicked and immoral actions still shock and concern me?
Get in the habit of performing regular self-examinations under the guiding hand of God’s Spirit. You might be pleasantly or unpleasantly surprised by what you uncover.
Father, prompt me to regularly examine myself to discover where I am in my faith walk with You.
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